Note:
If the drives provided by other companies are used, please contact the dealer for further information.

■

Confirm whether the CD used is compatible with the VAIO notebook.

Refer to the product instruction or VAIO Manual to verify which CDs are compatible.

■

Confirm whether the latest drive firmware is used.

Sony will release the drive which can improve VAIO notebook configuration, and the updated program of record function.
If Sony has already released the updated program, which is applicable to drive firmware of the VAIO notebook, please try to update this firmware.
After the firmware has been updated, drive reading and record function are improved. The inserted CD can also be recognised properly.

■

Confirm whether the method of inserting CD is correct, if the symptom occurs when a special CD is played.

Replace the inserted CD, and then confirm whether system is unable to read all CDs or the special CD.

In addition, please check the following information.

Whether CD is marked with dust or damaged.

Whether the CD has been placed reversely on the drive.

Whether CD has been inserted into the drive correctly.

Whether CD has been put on revolving shaft of the drive correctly, if the drive has revolving shaft.

If system cannot read special CD, it is possible that this CD has problems.
Please confirm whether the CD model is compatible with the VAIO notebook.

●

CD-ROM (including music CD) or DVD-ROM sold in the market.

Double-click the CD-ROM drive icon in My Computer (Computer in Windows Vista), and then confirm whether the CD can be accessed.
※ Music CD or software CD-ROM disc cannot play automatically.

Confirm whether other CDs can be read.
If other CDs can be read, this means the CD that cannot be read may have problems.

●

CD-R/RW disc

Confirm whether the recorded CD used was recorded by DirectCD software.
VAIO can only read the CD with ISO9660 format that has been recorded by recorded software.
If the CD don't have ISO9660 format, users have to install the corresponding recorded software, for the computer to read the CD.

If system cannot read CD-RW disc, please confirm whether it has been installed with UDF Reader when using it.

CD-R can be read by CD-R FS, while cannot be read by some VAIO notebooks.

Whether optical driver can read other CD-R/RW discs.

When using the CD reading function using OS standard, please confirm the symptom with the following related solutions.

Confirm whether the CD that needs to be played is ATRAC CD. The CD/DVD drive of VAIO notebook cannot play ATRAC CD.
Please refer to the following information.

●

DVD Video made by clients.

If VAIO notebooks cannot read DVD Video recorded by DVD recorder sold in the market, please confirm the symptom with the following operation steps.

If optical driver cannot read the CD with computer data, please check the following information.

Double-click DVD drive icon in My Computer, and then confirm whether the drive can be accessed.

Confirm whether CD has written new data.
After data has been written to the recordable CD, the CD cannot be used in computers other than the one which was used to create or add new data.
Sony also cannot guarantee that the written data can be used properly.

If DVD disc performs writing operation in other computers, please confirm whether the DVD disc has performed finalizing treatment.
Because other computers or players may read the DVD disc with data, please perform finalizing operation in the devices that need to perform data writing operation.

Confirm whether optical driver can read other DVD discs.

Confirm whether System has enabled other software.
Please close the enabled software, and then confirm whether the problem has been solved.

Confirm whether DVD discs with fast memory has been used.
Some VAIO notebooks are not compatible with such DVD discs.

Note:

It is possible that the CD is incompatible with the VAIO notebook.
When optical driver read written CD, please confirm the writing method of data in the CD.
It is possible that CD cannot be played or in limited operation, because of the title name of DVD Video.
Sony cannot guarantee that all DVD Video can be played in the computer.
If media data in the My Computer is selected directly, the CD cannot play automatically. Please check the setting of automatic play.

If the symptom persists, it is possible that the CD used has problems.
In addition, even if the CD used is compatible with theVAIO notebook, the CD may not be played or perform writing operation, because of the data writing situation or drive acceleration situation.

■

Confirm whether recovery disc can be started.

Please insert recovery disc into CD/DVD drive, and then shut down the computer.
※ According to the VAIO notebook, insert corresponding CD-ROM recovery disc or recovery startup disc.

Switch on the VAIO notebook, and then confirm whether the recovery installation utility program has been enabled.
If so, the symptom is not caused by drive hardware conflict.
※ If recovery disc can be enabled, please don't perform error operation of recovery installation.

Note:
According to VAIO notebook, after Sony icon appears, the message Press any key to boot from CD... will display on the left corner of the page.
When this happens, press any key within three seconds.

The displayed Exit Discarding Changes may vary for different VAIO notebooks.

When the message Save Configuration changes and exitnow? appears, select Yes, and then press Enter key.

※

The displayed information may vary for different VAIO notebooks.

●

Confirm whether hardware has problems.

Whether drive interface has dust.

If removable drive or the drive connecting via SYSTEM card, USB and i.LINK is used, please confirm whether the interface has dust.
In addition, if condition is permitted, connect the VAIO computer with other peripheral device via this interface, and then confirm whether it can be recognized properly.

Whether drive connects with SYSTEM properly.

After connecting the drive again, confirm whether the symptom has been resolved.
In addition, confirm whether the interface connects with the computer correctly.

Whether laser lens in CD/DVD drive has dust.

When CD/DVD drive is opened, and if the laser lens is visible, please confirm whether it has dust.

When opening drive, whether the laser lens is visible together with the tray?

Drive model that laser lens is visible when CD/DVD opened.
When the CD/DVD drive is opened, if there is the model that laser lens is visible, please clean the dust using special electric dryer of video camera.

Note:
Users should not buy the CD-ROM cleaning tool sold in the market.
Be careful that the lens may be damaged if the lens of the laser lens is touched.

※

The appearance varies for different models.

CD/DVD drive model that laser lens is not visible.
If the laser lens of some desktops is not visible, special electric dryer of video camera cannot be used.

※

The appearance varies for different models.

Whether dew appears.

Drive may have dew if the temperature or humidity increases rapidly.
If this is the case, CD/DVD drive cannot run and read CD properly.

To restore the drive to original status, please wait until the temperature increases and the steam condensed into water.
Please plug into the power again after waiting for several hours or one day.

Note:

If the symptom is resolved with the above steps.

It may be caused by improper drive connection or dust on the lens.If the symptom is resolved with the above steps.

If the recovery disc cannot be enabled, the problem may occur in the drive or the hardware of the VAIO notebook.
Please send it to Sony service center.

■

Confirm whether the drive can be recognized properly in Device Manager.

Open Device Manager, and check if ! is displayed beside the CD/DVD drive name..

Right-click My Computer → Propertites→ Hardware → Device Manager.

Click DVD/CD-ROM Drive, and check if ! is displayed beside the drive name.

Reference information
If users have installed the software with same type, except pre-installed recorded software, ! will be displayed beside the CD/DVD drive in Device Manager.A message, such as CD/DVD cannot be recognized properly, will appear.
If this is the case, please uninstall the installed recorded software first, and then confirm whether the situation has been improved.

■

Update or reinstall driver

If recovery disc cannot be enabled, it is possible that software has problems.
※ Please start Windows in Safe Mode, and then reinstall CD/DVD drive.

Reference information
If the symptom cannot be solved by updating or reinstalling driver, it is possible that DVD drive may have problems.
Before CD has been read, please confirm whether system has performed the following operations.

Install CD/DVD recording software.
If users have installed CD or DVD recorded software, the internal drive of VAIO notebook may not work properly.
Please uninstall the software.

Perform Windows Update
If users have installed driver released by Windows Update, it may cause the internal drive of the VAIO notebook not to work properly.
Please install only the Important updates released by Windows Update (including Service Pack).

■

Perform a system recovery

If it has a system restore point, please try System Restore before system recovery.

If the symptom still cannot be solved, please perform a system recovery. In other words, please use VAIO Recovery Utility to reinstall Windows (and other attached software).

Reference information

If a system recovery is not carried out, the symptom could not be solved by modifying registry.
Please refer to the following technical support information from Microsoft.

Note:
Please be careful when modifying registry.

Article ID

314060

Last Review

2007/04/16

Title

You can no longer access the CD drive or the DVD drive, or you receive an error message after you remove a CD recording program or a DVD recording program in Windows XP: "error code 31"

Please confirm whether the CD that cannot be played, is created on the VAIO notebook, or with a DVD recorder sold in the market or other computers.

Reference information

If the CD is created on other computers except VAIO notebooks, or DVD recorder, please confirm whether finalizing treatment has been performed on the CD.
VAIO notebook cannot read the CD which doesn't perform finalizing treatment.

Please perform finalizing treatment on the DVD recorder or computer that created the CD.
For the operating steps, please contact the Sony service center.

◆

Whether your SYSTEM has preinstalled with DVD player.

Confirm whether the DVD player, such as WindowsMedia Center, preinstalled on the VAIO notebook was used.
If DVD player software preinstalled on the VAIO notebook cannot play properly, the problem is not related with hardware of VAIO notebook.
If the special software cannot be played, please consult manufacturer of this software.

◆

Whether the CD you use is in VR format.

Confirm whether the CD used is in Video Recording (VR) format.
If the CD is created on computers of other companies, or by DVD recorder sold in the market, it may be in VR format.
Please refer to the corresponding product instruction for more details.

Reference information

VAIO notebook may not incompatible with DVD disc of VR format

◆

Whether the hardware accelerator has been set to its maximum.

Right-click the blank area on the desktop, and then click Properties.

Click Settings tab, and then click Advanced.

Click Troubleshoot tab, and then change Hardware acceleration into Full and click OK.

Reference information
If the symptom is resolved after changing the hardware accelerator into Full, it is possible that the computer setting has problems.

Note:
If the symptom persists, this could be due to the compatibility between the VAIO notebook and the CD.
Even if the CD is compatible with VAIO notebook, it may not be played or recorded.

Whether the CD used is created on the VAIO notebook.
[Pls check again. Title doesn’t match the steps below?]
According to the following operation steps, please set the accelerator to its maximum, and then confirm whether the problem has been solved.

Right-click the blank area on the desktop, and then click Properties.

Click Settings tab, and then click Advanced.

Click Troubleshoot tab, and then change Hardware acceleration into Full and click OK.

Reference information
If the problem has been solved after you have changed the hardware accelerator into Full, it is possible that the computer setting has problems.
If you has no other reasons, please change the hardware accelerator into Full.

Note:
It is possible that CD cannot be played or in limited operation, because of the title name of DVD Video.
Sony cannot guarantee that all DVD Video can be played in the computer.